I'll Never Forget You
by BornWithDragonWings
Summary: I don't hate them. Sure, I can't believe they didn't trust me to come back. Yeah, it kills me that they didn't rescue us when we were caught. And it hurt when I had to raise my children alone and in that place. I'm angry, I feel betrayed, and I could very well never trust them again. But I don't hate them. I could never hate them.
1. Chapter 1

**Max's POV**

I sat in the white room with my eyes closed, head leaning against the wall. I ignored the constant rambling of the Whitecoats on the other side of the room and instead focused on why I was here. _I have to protect my family._

"Subject 00034, please come with me."

I opened my eyes and stood slowly, still focused on why I was here. It kept my mind off of…_other _things. Like the daily experiments. And being betrayed by the ones I love.

I brushed past the Whitecoat and out the door, not bothering to try and fight. As long as I behaved, _they _stayed alive. They were all I had left and I would do everything in my power to make sure that they were alright. Even if it meant putting myself through eternal torture.

When we got to my room, the Whitecoat opened the door and shoved me in. Hard. I hit the floor with a thud and glared at him, but he was already shutting the door. I sighed and turned, knowing the procedure. I walked past the empty cages that littered the walls and stopped at the three in the back of the room. This room was just for my family. They never put anyone else in here.

The three cages were set side-by-side in the back corner. The first held a thin, blonde girl with curly hair that had once been short but had grown out over the years. Bright blue eyes blinked up at me in sympathy. I gave her a reassuring smile before turning to the cage on the right.

Two small figures huddled together. The first was a boy with black hair that seemed to absorb the darkness and brown eyes, just like mine. He was no more than five years old, and held the smaller child tightly in his arms. The little girl clutched her brother and blinked up at me with dark, obsidian eyes. Her raven hair was just past her shoulders and silky to the touch.

"Mama?" She said, pulling away from him and pressing her face against the cage.

I climbed into the cage in the middle and shut the door, turning the lock. Now only a Whitecoat could get me out. I turned back to the two figures.

"Raven." I took her hand in mine through the bars and gave her a slight smile. Turning to her brother, I raised an eyebrow. "Did you take care of your sister, River?"

He nodded and looked at me with a worried expression. "I-I heard you screaming again Mom. You've been gone for almost two days this time. What is happening out there?"

I shook my head and waved off his question. "You guys are safe. That's all that matters. Now go to sleep. You look exhausted."

They hesitantly complied and laid down in their cage, closing their eyes. I turned to Angel. "How long has it been?"

She looked down. "Six years since they kidnapped us from the others. Four years since we escaped the first time. Two years since they found us again. Still no word of the flock."

I looked away and squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the tears to back down. It had been six years since we had seen the others. They hadn't even tried to break us out. We had given up hope after being here a year. When we escaped the first time, we stayed in a place that the Whitecoats couldn't find us, but as soon as we left to go on a little vaca…BAM! Back in the school. I couldn't even afford to think about that place. Not while I was here.

But no matter how much they had betrayed me…even if they didn't even remember who I was…they were still my family. All I could do was pray to whoever watched over us that they were safe. I loved them after all. I loved him.

_THEN LEAVE!_

The last words he had said to me still rang in my ears. By now, Angel and the kids had fallen asleep, leaving room for me to shed a few tears. It had been the day before our birthdays. We were going to throw a party to celebrate. In fact, my gift to them was the best that I could hope to give. It had taken a lot of time and money…but I had never been able to share it with them.

_"P-Paris?" I stuttered. I had come here to tell him that I was pregnant, but he had brought up this subject before I could._

_ Fang nodded. "That's what they want."_

_ "But…" I trailed off. If we went to Paris then I wouldn't be able to give them their gift in time. Couldn't the trip wait?_

_ "But what Max?" He asked cautiously._

_ "I…I don't think that's a good idea."_

I didn't want to think of the details, but my brain mentally skipped past the beginning of the fight and stopped at the end.

_ "You raised them that way, Max!" He shouted. This was not going the way I had planned._

_ "Exactly, Fang! I _raised _them! Since I was twelve! Do you know how much pressure that put on a preteen? I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"_

_ "THEN LEAVE!"_

Even now, six years later, his words still bring tears to my eyes. After he said that I had pulled a very Max-like stunt. I took off, flying a few miles until I was far enough away that I could cry freely without having to be strong for the others. I had meant what I said. I couldn't take it anymore. The running, the fighting. It was all too much to bear. But I never wanted to leave them. That's why I had built _that _place. A place where we could be free. A home.

Angel had followed me, just to make sure I was alright. We had talked for a bit. It was nice being able to talk like we used to. Even after all those years, she was still my little girl. My Angel. When we had been ready to head back, we had taken off. However, we were met mid-flight by a pack of flying Erasers. Without the rest of the flock, they had overpowered us.

They had raised defenses, so it had been almost impossible to escape. I hadn't helped that I was pregnant. My babies ended up being born in the school. I had begged and pleaded to the Whitecoats, and we had a sort of arrangement. I did whatever they asked-without question-as long as they didn't do anything to my kids or to Angel. No experiments, no training exercises, nothing. To make up for the lost research, they tripled my torture. But it was worth it, as long as my remaining family was safe.

For now, at least.


	2. Chapter 2

**Fang's POV**

"_THEN LEAVE!"_ My own words rang through my mind from the moment I woke up. Why had I even thought about saying that? If I hadn't max would still be here, in my arms, right now instead of who knows where in the world. Our flock would still be whole. Still be a family. A now familiar feeling of guilt filled my chest and I closed my eyes again, taking a deep breath.

I sat up in the cave where we had slept for the night. It had been a long, agonizingly boring six years. Without Max or Angel here, all the excitement we had was the occasional run-ins with Erasers. We had begun to look forward to them.

I now understood what Max meant when she said that she couldn't take it. Having the weight of my own life on my shoulders was enough. Handling three others was a full time job. How on earth had Max managed to take care of six, plus a dog, for so long without complaining? No wonder she had snapped.

The excitement in our lives was not the only thing that had changed around here. Gazzy hadn't said a word since his sister and mother had disappeared. Even though he was fifteen now, not even a peep of mimicry. And though Nudge still talked a lot-which was to be expected- her words were almost always followed by tears. Not even Iggy could make the eighteen-year-old stop crying. Iggy hadn't changes much-said that he needed to be strong for the others- but there was still something off about his cheerful demeanor. Like he was always forcing a smile.

I had taken the role of leader. Max was right to be grouchy all the time. It was practically impossible scrounging up enough food to feed a flock of bird kids, practice our fighting skills, keep an eye out for trouble find a safe place to rest and always be moving at the same time. And those were just the basics. It must have been harder for her, since we were always rebelling and making it even more difficult.

If only she were here. I would give anything to have my Max beside me. Or to at least know that she was safe. No such luck.

"Wake up guys." I ordered, walking to the edge of the cave.

Nudge stood up. "What is it, Fang?"

I shook my head. "Just…a feeling. Something is about to happen."

"Something good? Or something normal?" Iggy groaned.

"I'm not sure yet." I peered down over the edge off the cliff outside the cave. We were too high up for me to see what was at the bottom, but I knew that it probably wasn't something that I was going to like. I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned to see Gazzy staring up in fear.

I whipped my head around just in time to see the bared, yellow teeth of an Eraser before everything went black.

**1**

I woke up in an empty room. The walls were a bright white, along with the ceiling and floor. I had to blink a few times to let myself adjust to the light. Looking around, I noticed two things. One; Iggy and Gazzy were already awake and pounding on the walls. Two; the only possible escape route was a giant metal door on one wall. Even Nudge would only be able to hack its security system from the outside.

I knew where we were immediately. And I didn't like it.

"F-Fang." I heard Nudge start to sob. Her hiccups could be heard from the corner of the room. "We're in the School, aren't we? But I thought we destroyed it."

"You did." Said a voice. I saw the door open to reveal a thin, balding man with glasses handing off the edge of his nose. "I am Dr. Zoofinch. I have been conducting research on you avian-hybrids for the past six years."

I froze. Six years. That couldn't mean…

_No. Max would never let herself get caught. Not with Angel to look after. _

"What do you want with us?" I growled.

He gave me a mockingly innocent look. "Whatever do you mean? I was only hoping to assist you in your long awaiting family reunion."

He backed out of the room. Mere seconds afterwards, a few more Whitecoats tossed in three figures before retreating and slamming the door shut. We were alone.

The oldest figure stood. She was about up to my shoulder and had medium-length blond ringlets. When her blue eyes met mine, I recognized hem instantly.

"Angel!" Nudge cried, sobbing even more and running to crush her little sister in a hug.

"Nu…dge?" Angel whispered. She didn't move away, but she didn't return the hug. After a few moments, the chocolate skinned girl pulled away, confused.

Angel knelt down by the other two figure, whom had been forgotten about quickly after they arrived. "Are you two alright?"

The boy, who looked no older than five, stood on shaky legs. "Yes, Aunt Ang. We're fine." He helped his sister to her feet.

The first thing that I notices was the boy's eyes. They were exactly like Max's, from the color to the determined expression. I knew instantly that there had to be a connection. The second thing that I notices was the girl's raven hair. It looked a lot like…

No. It wasn't possible.

"Angel, who are they?" Iggy asked cautiously.

Angel didn't look away from the kids. "Family." Was all she said.

Nudge was blubbering incoherently through her tears and Gazzy had not made a sound. I turned to him in concern to see him staring at his sister in pure shock. Then, surprising us all, he spoke.

"A-Angel?" His voice cracked and came out in a whisper from its underuse. "Is it really you?"

Only then did Angel react to our presence. She looked up slowly in realization and I saw tears come to her eyes. "Gazzy?"

She ran and jumped into her older brother's arms. I smiled at the sight, but couldn't help the question that was nagging at the back of my mind. _Where is Max?_

Then, I heard a sound that I had hoped never to hear again. It haunted my nightmares and often left me in a cold sweat, but the real thing was so much worse. I heard screaming. But not just any scream. It was Max's scream. An inhuman sound of pure agony and terror. A sound that made my insides twist and sobs start to wrack my throat.

_Please no. Not her. Anyone but Max._


	3. Chapter 3

**Oh my gods. I am so sorry guys. I posted the wrong story in chapter three. Thank you to those who pointed it out and I will try to get the correct chapter up soon. Again, Sorry!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here you guys go. The correct chapter for once! Sorry for the wait.**

* * *

><p><strong>Max's POV<strong>

I had stopped feeling the pain hours ago. I had stopped screaming, stopped crying. In fact, I wasn't even sure if I was alive anymore. I was vaguely aware that they had stitched up my stomach and were taking me somewhere, but I was too busy trying to decide if I was alive to pay any attention. But when I heard them mention 'The Rascals' I snapped back into reality. That's what they always called my children. What were they talking about?

I tuned in to the conversation.

"-start testing soon. Boss wants her out of the way first."

"I'm not surprised. He has been lenient for all these years. We are completely behind schedule."

"If only this wasn't our only location. Of something happens to this place…"

"Don't talk like that! You could jinx it."

Apparently, they thought I was unconscious.

_You won't lay a hand on my babies. Not on my watch._

**Fang's POV**

Her screaming had lasted for hours before the halls went completely silent. All that could be heard was the buzzing of machines from the next room. Where was she? What had they done to her?

I turned my gaze to Angel, who had left Gazzy's arms to hold the children when the screaming began. Now she sat mere inches away from them as the boy, whom was obviously the oldest, held his crying sister in his arms. Gazzy had an arm around the blonde protectively while she kept her gaze locked on the kids. Nudge and Iggy were huddled in the corner while he tried to calm her silent tears. No such luck.

I took the time to walk over to Angel and sit next to her, leaning in. "Care to explain?"

She blinked up at me and swallowed. "O-Okay." I was silent as she began.

"There's not much to tell, really. Six years ago, after you two fought, I flew after Max to make sure that she was okay. I remember being really surprised because I found her crying. I had never seen Max cry before. But anyways, we talked for a while. It was nice. She told me everything. Her fears, her worries, and that she was…" She trailed off.

I raised an eyebrow. "She was…?"

Angel looked down. "That's for her to say. But anyways, on our way back we were attacked. Just erasers, no flyboys or anything. But we were outnumbered. They captured us and brought us here. We tried to break out multiple times, but they had raised security. We could only me rescued from the outside. It didn't help that Max was in a weakened state. After a year, both of us stopped hoping that you would save us."

My eyes widened. _They had been waiting for us? I could've saved Max…I failed her. Wait…weakened state?_

She continued. "Two years after we were captured, we escaped. Max and the twins and I were finally free. It felt amazing to be able to fly again. Max took us somewhere where the Erasers would never find us, a place where we were safe. We stayed there for another two years happily. But I missed you guys. Even though Max didn't say it, I knew that she did too. So I finally convinced her to look for you. We set out to search…but not a week later we were captured again. I guess that safe place was safer than we though."

"Wait. Max knew about somewhere safe that whole time? And she never said anything?" Iggy asked angrily.

Angel glared at him, though he couldn't see it. "She didn't _know _about it, idiot. She _built _it as a birthday present for us. Six years ago." Angel's expression softened and she looked at me. "She told you that she couldn't handle the running anymore, Fang. She meant it."

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and forced back the tears. "No wonder she was so against the Paris idea."

Angel nodded. "She wanted to get home as soon as possible."

The word rang in all of our minds. _Home. _Max had been wanting to give us a home, and we….no _I _chased her away before she could. Ad when she needed me the most, I wasn't there for her. I left her to rot in this prison.

"Don't blame yourself, Fang." Nudge told me. "We are all at fault."

Instead of answering, I looked at the twins. The boy was staring at me with curiosity and the girl was trying not to cry in his arms. "Who are you?" He asked.

I responded slowly. "This is Iggy, Nudge and Gazzy. I'm Fang."

His eyes widened and he shared a look with his sister before looking at Angel. She nodded but gave him a stern look. I furrowed my eyebrows but chose to ignore it. "What are your names?"

He took a long time to reply. Then she poke reluctantly. "I'm River. This is Raven."

I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of the door bursting open. Two Whitecoats with angry expressions tossed something-or should I say someone- in before quickly slamming the door shut again. I looked down at the person and my heart stopped.

Her white t-shirt and light jeans were ripped and stained with her own blood. Her hair fell down to her waist in dirty blond tangles and was matted with more dried blood. Apparently, they hadn't even bothered to clean her up before tossing her to the dogs. But even with her eyes closed as she laid limp and helpess on the floor, I knew it was her. Max.

Before I could make a move towards her, Angel rushed over. "Max." She shook her lightly. "Max they're gone. Get up."

I heard a huff and Max's eyes shot open as she rolled onto her back. "I was trying to sleep Ang. I'm exhausted."

Ang rolled her eyes and helped Max to her feet. River and Raven ran over at lightning speed. Raven was the first to get there, smacking into Max's stomach and hugging her tightly. Max let out a little yelp of pain.

Raven pulled back. "I-I'm sorry, Mama."

_Mama? _I thought in shock. Max gave a small smile down at the girl. "It's alright. I'm fine, Love."

River was more careful as he took hold of her arm. "Mom, I heard screaming again. It lasted longer than usual. W-Were they…?"

Max looked away and I could tell she was trying not to cry. "That doesn't matter, River. Did they hurt you?"

Raven looked confused. "No, Mama. Why would they hurt us? You made that deal with them, remember?"

My favorite blonde smiled. "Yes, love."

I then realized that she probably didn't know we were there. I cleared my throat.

Max shot up and took a step in front of her kids protectively. When she saw that it was me, I watched her tense up even more than she already had. She had never had that expression towards me before. Had our relationship really changed that much?

"Max." I whispered, fighting the urge to grab her and hold her in my arms.

She blinked, as if trying to make sure I was real, before tightening her grip on the twins. "F-Fang?"

Nudge burst into tears again and ran over, hugging her tightly. Max hesitantly wrapped her arms around the crying teen. She was only eighteen after all. Gazzy followed, then Iggy, and soon they were all hugging Max while she tried her best to stay upright. I, however, remained where I was, silently observing their reunion. Max met my gaze and I searched her eyes, desperate to read her emotions. I saw a mixture of relief and happiness that was overwhelmed by confusion and anger.

"What are you doing here?" She asked quietly.

"Same thing you are." Iggy said. "Planning to escape."

Max looked down and let go of Nudge, whom was still crying in her arms. I caught a glimpse of her expression and saw just a hint of guilt. Angel put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture before turning to us. "We aren't planning to escape."

There was a moment of silence, before…

"WHAT?!"


End file.
